That is why, together, the governments of Canada and Ontario are taking decisive action to help families, businesses and communities as they adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas; Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation; and His Worship Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton, announced joint funding for seven projects to improve public transit and provide additional active transportation options to Hamilton residents.
The Government of Canada is investing over $201.8 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure program. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $168.2 million, and the City of Hamilton is contributing over $148.8 million to these projects.
Among the projects funded, the construction of a new 60,000 square metre public transit maintenance and storage facility that will include a 30-bus maintenance area, storage for 200 conventional size buses, approximately 4000 square metres of administration space, and a four-level parking structure. Once completed, the new facility will improve the capacity of public transit infrastructure in the City and improve the quality and safety of the existing and future transit system.
In addition, improvements to Hamilton's bus transit network and upgrades to the City's 16 km-long A-Line rapid transit corridor will result in a faster and more reliable public transit experience. The upgrades involve the construction of five new queue jump lines and 17 km of new sidewalks along 12 different segments of rapid transit roadway, the implementation of transit signal priority measures at various intersections, and improvements to approximately 19 transit stops along the corridor.
Once completed, these projects will contribute to the City of Hamilton's network of BLAST corridors designed to connect residents from the lower city, to the mountain, to the waterfront and the airport. This gives Hamilton the tools to deliver exceptional transit to move within the city, and conveniently access regional transportation choices.
All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when needed most.
Quotes
"Safe and reliable public transit systems contribute to making Canadian communities good places to live, work, and raise families. The Government of Canada is investing over $200 million in Hamilton's public transit system, to improve the A-Line Rapid Transit Corridor, purchase new buses, construct new bike paths, and support a new storage and maintenance facility. Building on our historic investment in the Hamilton LRT, this investment will reduce commute times and help workers, students, seniors and families across Hamilton and beyond get where they need to go faster, cleaner and in affordable ways. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, tackles climate change and builds more inclusive communities."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"Hamilton is an ambitious and growing city, and accessible public transit is crucial to our future. Today's announcement, which includes funding to support Hamilton's bus network, is yet another important step forward towards creating a clean, modern public transit system that will connect communities across our city. I'm proud to be part of a government that recognizes the potential of our city and continues to make investments that will improve the lives of Hamiltonians."
The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas
"The provincial government is committed to supporting Ontarians as we continue to fight through the COVID-19 pandemic and look towards recovery. Our $168.2 million investment to support seven Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) projects will help Hamilton maintain and improve public transit options that will go a long way in supporting growth, create local jobs and help provide residents with the reliable and convenient transit they deserve."
Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation
"This funding, along with the federal government's previously announced support for Hamilton's LRT project, together represent an historic, generational investment in transit in Hamilton. This will allow us to expand transit like never before, making it faster, more affordable, more reliable and more convenient. This in turn will attract more riders than ever before, which in turn makes roads less congested and is good for the environment. The federal government is a wonderful partner in Hamilton's transit aspirations and I thank Minister McKenna and Prime Minister Trudeau for making all this possible. The Ontario government is also a wonderful partner and I thank Minister Caroline Mulroney and Premier Doug Ford for their strong support for public transit."
Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton
Quick facts
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Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
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Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is already investing $28.7 billion to support public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
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On February 10, 2021 the Government of Canada announced a plan for $14.9 billion in new public transit funding over eight years, including $2.5 billion over 5 years starting this year as well as a portion of the $3 billion in ongoing annual transit funding beginning in 2026-27 to expand transit systems in large urban centres by enabling key, high-readiness major transit projects to advance. It will do this by supporting transit projects entering the construction phase in the near-future, and also helping to plan major transit projects that will be constructed down the road.
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Across Ontario, the Government of Canada has invested more than $14.2 billion in over 3,800 infrastructure projects.
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Ontario is investing $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community infrastructure. Across the province, Ontario is investing more than $7.3 billion in public transit infrastructure over 10 years through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
